SA citrus growers skirt Spain over disease dispute

SOUTH Africa, the world’s biggest orange exporter after Spain and Egypt, will avoid citrus shipments through Spanish ports to avert a possible ban after authorities there refused producers permission to inspect testing facilities for black-spot disease.

The fungus, which affects some South African produce, causes blemishes on the peel of the fruit, which accounts for about 40% of citrus imported by the European Union (EU).

The nation’s Citrus Growers Association (CGA) is disputing findings by the European Food Safety Authority that the disease can survive transport and storage and could establish in EU regions.

SA had to halt exports to the region last year after EU authorities intercepted 16 shipments with black-spot-affected fruit. More

Source: www.bdlive.co.za

Firms need social media policy for staff

AN INCREASING number of people are engaging on social media platforms and they are also used by companies to promote their businesses. People are connected and are engaging with others around the world in a way that has never been possible before.

However, the inappropriate use or abuse of social media has also led to several legal battles, in SA and around the world. There have been many arrests for cybercrimes and an increase in the number of employees dismissed for social media misconduct.

The most popular social media platforms for business in SA are Twitter, followed by Facebook and YouTube. Their use is fraught with possible pitfalls and hidden dangers, especially because the laws regulating acceptable behaviour on them are underdeveloped.

People access their platforms of choice on their smartphones at all hours of the day or night, and often without a thought for the consequences of what they post. This has resulted in many public relations debacles, significant brand damage and costly litigation.  More

Source: www.bdlive.co.za

Petrol and power price jump could push SA into recession

Fuel and electricity price increases may drive country into recession, according to economist, Dawie Roodt.  The R1.62 a litre increase in the price of 95 octane fuel together with the 14.25% increase in electricity tariffs for municipal users could drive South Africa into a full-blown recession.  Roodt said this was the largest fuel increase in history and was going to hit consumers like a ton of bricks.  “If Eskom loses any more generating capacity, economic growth could slow to less than half a percent or even become negative plunging the country into recession.  More

Source: www.businesstech.co.za

Enel gets R2.1bn loan to help pay for SA wind farm

Enel Green Power SpA, the renewable-energy unit of Italy’s biggest utility, received a loan of R2.1 billion to help pay for a wind farm it plans to build in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.

KfW IPEX Bank GmbH, the export finance unit of Germany’s state-owned development lender KfW, provided the loan for Enel to construct the 111-megawatt Gibson Bay wind farm that will comprise 37 turbines of 3 megawatts each, Enel said by e-mail.

Enel also has started an “academy” that will train South Africans to install and sell small solar-power projects such as on home rooftops. It expects to have trained at least 1,000 people by June, Enel said in the statement.

Source: www.moneyweb.co.za